Solomon Islands (2005) | Cuba (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western | 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 114,860/female 110,404)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 149,400/female 145,970) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,371/female 9,027) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 19.6% (male 1,139,644/female 1,079,412)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 3,977,110/female 3,975,818) 65 years and over: 10.4% (male 540,720/female 633,966) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
Airports | 33 (2004 est.) | 170 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 79
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) |
total: 91
914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Background | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions. | The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule was severe and exploitative and occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 1,498 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2004. |
Birth rate | 30.74 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 12.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0 (2003) |
revenues: $18.01 billion
expenditures: $19.06 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Honiara | Havana |
Climate | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
Coastline | 5,313 km | 3,735 km |
Constitution | 7 July 1978 | 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
Death rate | 3.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $180.4 million (2002) | $12.09 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2004 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands | none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925 |
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518 |
Disputes - international | Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security | US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease |
Economic aid - recipient | $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.) | $68.2 million (1997 est.) |
Economy - overview | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds. | The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the depression of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government in 2004 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. |
Electricity - consumption | 29.76 million kWh (2002) | 13.4 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 32 million kWh (2002) | 14.41 billion kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying | air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census) | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
Exchange rates | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000) | Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93
note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP and CUC at a 1:1 ratio. |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament |
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% |
Exports | NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa | sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
Exports - partners | China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 4.8% (2004) | Netherlands 22.7%, Canada 20.6%, China 7.7%, Russia 7.5%, Spain 6.4%, Venezuela 4.4% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green | five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 6.6%
industry: 25.5% services: 67.9% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.8% (2003 est.) | 3% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 8 00 S, 159 00 E | 21 30 N, 80 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea | largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles |
Government - note | June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003. By the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120 military in addition to civilian technical advisors. | - |
Highways | total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.) |
total: 60,858 km
paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone primarily for marijuana bound for North America; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 |
Imports | NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals | petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%, Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004) | Spain 14.7%, Venezuela 13.5%, US 11%, China 8.9%, Canada 6.4%, Italy 6.2%, Mexico 4.9% (2004) |
Independence | 7 July 1978 (from UK) | 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 1.4% (2004 est.) |
Industries | fish (tuna), mining, timber | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
Infant mortality rate | total: 21.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 6.33 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 10% (2003 est.) | 3.1% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO | ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 870 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | 26,840 (1999) | 4.55 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) | agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 29 km
border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba |
Land use | arable land: 0.64%
permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001) |
arable land: 33.05%
permanent crops: 7.6% other: 59.35% (2001) |
Languages | Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages |
Spanish |
Legal system | English common law, which is widely disregarded | based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18 |
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.66 years
male: 70.16 years female: 75.28 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 77.23 years
male: 74.94 years female: 79.65 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 20 (2005) |
Military - note | - | Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993 |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) | Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | $572.3 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1.8% (2003) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) | Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953) |
Nationality | noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
Natural hazards | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common |
Natural resources | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
People - note | - | illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and overland via the southwest border |
Pipelines | - | gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions |
only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 538,032 (July 2005 est.) | 11,346,670 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.68% (2005 est.) | 0.33% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina | Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) | AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 4,226 km
standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2004) |
Religions | Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census) | nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 16 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally with the help of foreigners
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains low, at 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,600 (2002) | 574,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,000 (2002) | 17,900 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 58 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
Total fertility rate | 4.04 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 2.5% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | - | 240 km (2004) |